Chemical and Toxins

Use of chemicals is regulated under a number of federal acts, most notably the Toxic Substances Control Act. Through this legislation, EPA has the authority to require that companies report, keep records of, and meet testing requirements and restrictions relating to chemical substances and mixtures.

Of late, the agency has embarked upon an effort to make chemical processes more transparent. In August 2010, it made TSCA data available to the public, allowing anyone with Internet access to search for more information about the chemicals under the law’s purview. In addition, EPA also recently made public the formulations of more than 150 chemicals that were previously kept confidential for business reasons.

Articles

Linked to earthquakes, water contamination, and general pollution, fracking becomes more controversial by the day. Meanwhile, 13,000 new wells are being drilled every year. There have been over a thousand documented cases of water contamination next to areas of gas drilling—cases of sensory, respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological damage. From the water we drink to the ground beneath our feet, is it too late to ask, “What gives?”
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